Freak High
by twilightedseattlegirl
Summary: The usual characters, but definitely not the usual circumstances. "Maybe, just maybe, there were others with more frightening secrets than their own."
1. Home Sweet Home

**Chapter 1 - Home Sweet Home**

The phrase _human lab rat_ echoed in Bella's head as she stepped off the bus and peered at the buildings in front of her, the words bouncing around her mind, blocking other thoughts and emotions. The pale seventeen-year-old welcomed the numbness of that single thought, because without the distraction, she might actually have to face the fact that her mother and father had signed over their parental rights to the government and agreed to no contact for the foreseeable future. Renee and Charles tried to appear heartbroken when Bella was escorted away from their Phoenix home, but the relief in their eyes was undeniable. They would no longer have to be afraid of their own daughter.

Bella could sense other bodies exiting behind her, but paid them no attention as she preferred isolation. She had luckily been the first one collected at SeaTac airport and had used an iPod and closed eyes to avoid any interactions as the other teenagers trickled aboard the bus from their respective airplanes. Bella had remained in her bubble, absorbed in lyrics, for the duration of the nearly four hour drive over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and then north to their current location deep in the forest outside of Forks, Washington.

Of course like all of the passengers, Bella didn't know exactly where they were. She hadn't even known she was flying into Seattle until right before she boarded the plane in Arizona. Although an unwelcomed thought, she couldn't help but wonder - for probably the hundredth time - how her parents could say good-bye without even knowing where their only child was going. But Bella needed to ignore those kinds of thoughts for her own protection, so she shut them away and tried to empty her mind once again_._

Unfortunately, Bella's mental state as she slowly walked forward over the gravel driveway was _too_ distracted; she didn't realize until it was too late that someone had entered her personal space, which was completely unacceptable. A casual brush of shoulder on shoulder caused Bella's mind to rage, and she fought impossibly hard to control what was usually uncontrollable. In order to close off that part of her subconscious, Bella focused on her other senses with a fierce intensity. Pine and dampness. Bird song and cool air. The elegantly lettered sign on the front of the nearest building.

_Olympic Academy_

The reality of where she was and why she was sent there shot to the forefront of Bella's mind, and for once, that dark part of her inner self retreated without demanding an appearance.

The campus laid out before her did appear from the outside to be like any other school. From Bella's vantage point, she could make out the tops of four buildings formed around what appeared to be a grassy quad. The structure on the left was the most modern and had the distinctive feel of a sports facility. The central building, the one with the sign, was the most impressive though. A tower rose high above its five stories giving the place an almost ominous feeling.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen," a soft voice rang out. "My name is Mrs. Cope, and I would like to welcome you to your new home."

Home had been making brownies with Renee and watching football with Charlie, at least before the darkness took over and both of them avoided being in a room alone with her. At any rate, this collection of classrooms and dormitories, and probably laboratories, would never be home.

"If you would please follow me," the grey-haired woman in front of her continued, unaware of Bella's inner turmoil, "there will be an orientation in the main conference room."

Never the leader, even before everything changed, Bella now fell back and followed her peers into the building. It appeared that she wasn't the only loner in the group considering that most wore closed expressions and gave each other a wide berth. The few that were conversing did so in low voices, the fear of the unknown rolling off them in more obvious waves. Bella was scared as well, but focused again on numbness instead of letting the fear control her. She walked with her head down and eyes unfocused.

Edward couldn't help but watch the brown-haired girl as she walked past him, soft curls spilling out from under a baseball cap, falling like a curtain around her face. He had first noticed her on the bus, or more appropriately, he noticed the absence of her. Edward couldn't figure out how or why she was different, but considering everyone on that bus was probably as fucked up as him, the teenager wasn't sure he wanted to know. All he wanted was to return to Chicago and continue his self-imposed exile in his grandmother's attic.

As the last student to enter the conference room, Edward was forced to sit in the one remaining seat. As he folded his long, lean frame into the small chair, the body of the petite girl beside him went completely rigid and her eyes glassed over before those same orbs snapped up to meet his. She gave him a sad shake of her head before speaking.

"Don't decide to ignore her. Things were better before."

Before Edward could process the strange comment, his attention was focused once again on Mrs. Cope, who lightly tapped a microphone at the front of the room.

"Students, I would like to introduce to our lead scientist and the de facto principal of Olympic Academy, Dr. Carlisle Cullen."

A distinguished looking man stepped up to the podium, but pushed the microphone away, giving the older woman a look of incredulity that she thought his voice would need to be artificially amplified to a group of only twenty or so people.

"First, it is important that you know how excited I am to meet each and every one of you. That said, I feel it is also essential to acknowledge that most, or maybe even all of you, are not here of your own volition." He paused to scan each of their faces, and as much as she didn't want to, Bella could already feel herself soothed by his demeanor. "Each of you has a gift, whether you choose to see it as that or not. We want to help you explore those gifts and as needed, control them. You will attend classes with each other as well as meet individually with members of my team on a daily basis, six days a week. Sunday is your day for relaxation and personal pursuits, although you will need to stay here on campus. You each have…"

"So we are basically prisoners then?" a large boy with an angry voice interrupted. The tone immediately put Bella on the defensive, even though the question wasn't directed at her. Making a mental note to stay away from that particular student, she pulled her hat lower over her forehead as if it was a talisman that could protect her from this nightmare.

"Mr. McCarty, as you know, your family has chosen to enroll you in our program which means you are expected to follow all of the rules. It is not unusual for boarding schools to have closed campuses."

"Are you really going to stand there and pretend this is a _normal_ school?!" McCarty was now standing and his voice had taken on a mocking quality in addition to the ever present anger. "Fucking bullshit. If I am forced to be here, let's call a spade, a spade. My dear, loving parents have shipped me off to Freak High."

"I can completely understand your reaction, but if you'll just take a deep breath and just try to cool off..." Dr. Cullen requested from the front of the room.

"No, I think y_ou're _the one who needs to cool off," McCarty replied icily as he scrunched his brow in a focused glare.

Suddenly, a glass of water leapt off the front table and spun through the air, drenching the front of the doctor's shirt. Everyone in the room froze, shocked and amazed at the scene that just played out right in front of their eyes. They were all considering variations of the same thought.

Maybe, just maybe, there were others with more frightening secrets than their own.


	2. Secrets Revealed

_Suddenly, a glass of water leapt off the front table and spun through the air, drenching the front of the doctor's shirt. Everyone in the room froze, shocked and amazed at the scene that just played out right in front of their eyes. They were all considering variations of the same thought._

_Maybe, just maybe, there were others with more frightening secrets than their own._

**Chapter 2: Secrets Revealed**

"Emmett!" the blond beside him hissed as she jerked the boy back into his seat. After the initial shock wore off, the rest of the group became quickly agitated as thoughts turned from their own secrets to the realization that they could possibly be hurt by a classmate, if Emmett's display was any indication.

Dr. Cullen though continued as if what had just happened was the most natural thing in the world and he wasn't in fact dripping wet.

"As I was saying, your schedule will be fairly regimented most of the time, but I am confident that you will enjoy your time here at the academy once you get settled and acclimated to the routine."

By the time orientation packets were passed out twenty minutes later, the student body had seemed to forget about the earlier outburst - or maybe they were all just used to suppressing unpleasant memories.

Bella for one was too preoccupied by the announcement that everyone had been pre-assigned a roommate. She wasn't sure how she could be expected to share a close space with another person. Surely someone in charge knew that wasn't a good idea. She decided she would just have to speak with Dr. Cullen later, but for now, the uncertain teen followed Mrs. Cope to the girls' dormitory as directed.

After dismissing the other half of the students, Dr. Cullen himself led the boys to their own separate living quarters, which were directly across the quad from the administrative building. He could tell that several of the gentlemen, including Mr. McCarty, were eying the campus's layout with a little too much interest, and as such, a new plan began to form in the principal's mind. Perhaps it would be in everyone's best interest if they engaged in concentrated indoctrination before starting formal classes.

One by one, the boys filed through the door of their new home and into the large common area that took up most of the first floor. Many couldn't contain their excitement at seeing the leather couches, pool table and three large plasma TVs strategically placed around the room, each with its own gaming system. Shelves held row after row of DVDs and video games, and an elaborate stereo was wired to a set of high-end speakers.

It would appear that no expense had been spared in setting up the room; a prime example of Americans' tax dollars hard at work.

Some of the students, however, saw the setup for what it really was - an attempt to placate a group who was basically being held hostage. That contingent was surprisingly keeping their thoughts to themselves though, at least for the time being.

"Excuse me while I duck in here for a fresh shirt. I will be back in one moment to show you to your assigned rooms."

After watching Dr. Cullen disappear into a suite of rooms by the large sweeping staircase, Edward turned to the tall blond boy beside him, the one with a seemingly one track mind.

"So what's your deal?"

Edward was surprised by his own question. He hadn't intended to make friends at this place, or even start casual conversations like this one. And Edward definitely would have kept his mouth shut if he had realized the consequences of speaking, because just as the blond turned to him with a startled expression, snapped out of his determined focus, Emmett started yelling and swearing again, going off on a tirade about how the only reason he agreed to come here was to be with some girl he had met online and now he was forced to leave her for some "fucking male bonding shit."

"Excuse me," the blond politely addressed Edward in a Southern twang, "but it seems my services are still needed elsewhere."

In the next instance, Emmett appeared subdued and Edward became eerily calm as well.

"Ah, thank you, Mr. Whitlock," Dr. Cullen commented as he excited his room and took in the scene before him. Edward looked back and forth between the scientist and his peer with confusion before the proverbial light bulb went off. The boy had returned to his single-minded focus on serenity, and along with it, the rest of the group scattered around the room had become peaceful as well.

"Stop using your mojo shit on me," Edward particularly growled at the other teenager, fighting for some unknown reason against the wave of calmness.

_Well hello "Pot". Get out of _my_ mind if you expect the same courtesy in return._

"What… how…" Edward stammered.

"Deduction, my dear Watson. And I'm Jasper by the way. Born and raised in the great Lone Star State."

At the same moment Edward was watching the Texan turn and stroll lazily up the staircase after Dr. Cullen, Bella was wondering if she had stepped into some kind of alternative universe.

She wasn't naïve. She knew this wasn't a normal school and that they were each there because of their "gifts," but she never expected anything like this. Despite everything that had happened in recent months, surely her parents wouldn't have sent her away if they knew of the torture that awaited her at Olympic Academy.

"Okay, girls. Now let's go around and say what our favorite color is and what we like about that color."

Mrs. Cope beamed with the announcement, seemingly oblivious to the bored and annoyed expressions on the faces surrounding her. Everyone was seated in the large common area of their dormitory. The female students had already been subjected to four other "ice breakers," and everyone's patience was wearing thin.

Bella snuck glances at her peers and wondered once again if she would ever fit in here. She was seated in a large arm chair, thankful that she was able to avoid sharing a couch or a pile of pillows on the floor. Not only would the physical closeness of those particular seating arrangements have been a problem, Bella also felt awkward around her peers due to normal teenage angst.

Although everyone seemed to keep their distance from each other when they first arrived at the campus, it now appeared that cliques were starting to form. Several girls had their heads together giggling like old friends, completely ignoring Mrs. Cope's attempts towards group bonding.

"Your turn, dear."

It took long seconds before Bella realized that the older woman was talking to her. The shy girl felt her traitor blush making its way over her cheeks and down her neck. Everyone was looking at her now, even the girls who were absorbed in their own conversations moments before.

"Umm…green?" was Bella's mumbled response as she shrunk back into the chair's cushions, wishing she could just disappear from the unwelcomed attention. To her relief, another girl interrupted the current torture session before Bella was forced to explain her choice.

"Mrs. Cope? I don't want to speak for everyone else, but I am pretty beat after all of the traveling today. Perhaps we could get settled in our rooms now?"

The girl who spoke was a small fairy-like creature with the strangest high pitch voice. Bella had of course noticed her before as the spiky black hair style was hard to miss. In fact, Bella had gotten the distinct feeling on several occasions throughout the afternoon that the girl had been watching her.

"Of course, of course, Alice. I should have thought of that myself. I just wanted to make sure everyone felt welcomed and comfortable here in your new home. Why don't we take an hour break for you to unpack and relax and then meet in the dorm's kitchen for dinner? I know lots of other get-to-know-you games we can play while we eat."

Groans erupted from throughout the room, but Mrs. Cope either didn't hear them or just chose to ignore the protests. Bella couldn't decide if the woman was an eternal optimist or just clueless.

The sixteen girls unwound themselves from their various positions before grabbing their carry-ons that had been stacked in a corner of the room. The bulk of their clothes and personal belongings had been shipped to the academy before their arrival.

After everyone had gathered on the landing at the top of the stairs, Mrs. Cope started rattling off roommate assignments and other instructions. As usual, Bella separated herself from the rest of the group, but for once the impulse was based on curiosity instead of self-preservation. For a reason she couldn't explain, the teen was drawn down the right hallway past the other opened doors. As she stopped in front of the last room, she let out a surprised gasp.

The room before her was large with two beds, desks, bookcases, and dressers, along with a shared couch and entertainment center. The furniture though was far from the simple and generic variety one might expect in a dormitory. The various pairs of bedroom items also didn't match each other. Bella barely glanced at the ornate sleigh bed and antique writing desks on the right side of the room. Instead, her glaze was drawn to the left set-up.

Although not exactly the same, the resemblance to her bedroom at home was undeniable. The furniture came from the same mission-style category and this bedspread was also a deep purple. There was even a rocking chair in the corner, beside a bookshelf overflowing with all of Bella's favorite novels, even though she herself had only packed a handful of her most loved tomes. In fact, there were books there that Bella didn't own back in Phoenix but had wanted to read for some time.

While the reproduction was probably intended to be comforting, the reality just seemed like an extreme invasion of privacy that left an uneasy feeling in the pit of the girl's stomach.

"Oh, there you are, dear." Mrs. Cope's words broke into the unpleasant thoughts that were swarming inside Bella's head. "I wondered where you ran off to, but it appears that I had no need to worry. You managed to find your room all on your own."

Their appointed guardian looked around the group gathered with her in the hall before zeroing in on one particular face. "Alice, you have been assigned this room as well," Mrs. Cope added before leaving the two there and leading the remaining girls to their own respective rooms.

Alice rushed through the doorway with a huge grin after a quick word of thanks to Mrs. Cope. The new addition went to hug Bella, but then thankfully stopped herself, muttering a quiet, "oops, I almost forgot," under her breath. Instead, the pixie girl gave a little wave from her side of the room.

"Hi, Bella. I am so excited to be your roommate and to finally meet you. I would have introduced myself during orientation, but you seemed so sullen already that I thought it best not to bother you." Alice's expression immediately turned guilty after her last comment.

"Okay, that's not really true… To be perfectly honest, the only thing that stopped me from speaking to you back in the conference room was that I saw what _would have _happened if I plopped down beside you and threw my arm around your shoulders as I originally planned."

Bella looked at the strange girl with awe and a rising sense of alarm. She wasn't sure what she feared more though - that Alice seemed to know her secret somehow or that her new roommate was even more dangerous than herself.

"Don't look at me like that. Yes, I am used to people thinking I am crazy, but I expected better from you, Isabella Marie Swan. Ever since your parents made the decision to return that agent's call, I knew we would find each other here. I was even more excited when Carlisle made the decision to put us together as roommates."

"Are you stalking me or something?" The thought was irrational to Bella's own mind, but she wasn't sure how else to interpret the situation. To be on the safe side, she backed up towards her bed, putting as much distance as possible between the two of them.

"Hmm, why didn't I see how awkward this was going to be?" Alice wondered aloud as she plopped down on her own bed and drew her legs up under her body.

"Okay, let's get all the weird stuff out of the way, why don't we? I knew all these things because I have a precognitive ability. I can see the future. Well, at least glimpses of it. Of course things are constantly changing as new decisions are made, and some images are clearer than others, but that's me in a nutshell.

Well… I guess there is that whole part about being abandoned by my parents when I was too young to remember them and spending most of the last two years in a mental hospital's padded room, but I prefer to focus on the good stuff instead."

Alice shrugged casually as if she was discussing the most mundane of topics. For her part, Bella still couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of someone knowing about events before they happened. If she had meet Alice eighteen months ago, she would have whole-heartedly agreed a mental facility was the best fit for someone who _thought_ they could see the future.

But now, either they both belonged in the loony bin or neither of them did. Of course, Bella supposed that's where they actually were at this moment, just with a different external packaging.

"Now your turn, Bella. I am curious to know exactly how you would have managed to send me flying through the conference room window without even moving a muscle."


	3. Settling In

**Freak High**

**Chapter 3: Settling In**

"Can't you just pick up the damn syrup bottle like a normal person?"

"Ah, but Masen, none of us is normal. Isn't that the point of Freak High?"

Of course Emmett couldn't actually manage to talk and manipulate his power at the same time so the maple condiment clattered to the tabletop, spilling its contents off the edge and onto his lap.

"Shit! Now I have to change before class. I'm finally going to get to see Rosie again today, and you had to go and turn me into a sticky mess."

"I am sure your girl can do that all on her own," Edward fired back with a smirk at his new friend.

_Shut it, Assward _was Emmett's internal reply as he left their dorm's shared kitchen and ran back up to his room on the second floor.

Edward was still shocked that he could once again consider someone a friend, but his attitude about a lot of things had changed in the past week since they arrived at Olympic Academy.

Things were rocky at first though. Several students of both genders tried to "explore" their first night here. Since they were no longer under the careful watch of their families, some thought that now might be a good time to establish some independence, which may or may not have included trying to leave the property.

Of course Emmett was the worst offender, attempting to sneak out on three separate occasions in the first twelve hours. Once he realized the futility of trying to get past security, he took out his anger at the situation on their common room, sending CDs and books flying off shelves and crashing into the opposite wall. But Emmett had thankfully calmed down considerably in the last few days. Edward wasn't sure if it was Jasper's influence or the new trust that all of them had reluctantly placed in their pseudo principal.

Since several of the students had such trouble adjusting to being here, Dr. Cullen had felt it prudent to concentrate on individual sessions before starting group classes. In fact, the teenagers had been pretty much sequestered to their respective dormitories since arriving. The only exceptions were escorted trips to and from the offices and laboratories in the main administrative building.

In the beginning, some of the students refused to actively participate in the one-on-one sessions with Dr. Cullen and his team. They were upset at the restrictions and felt the need to assert some control over their lives. Their principal though never pushed them or made demands. Instead, he would spend the time telling the students about himself, his research, and how he hoped to help them. After just a few sessions, it was impossible for any of them to doubt his sincerity.

The enforced confinement also gave students the chance to really get to know everyone who lived in their same building, since they were forced to spend so much time together apart from the opposite sex. At least that was true for the sixteen guys in Edward's dorm.

As psychic powers were revealed one at a time, camaraderie slowly developed among the group. They didn't all like each other necessarily, but each reveled in the knowledge that they weren't alone in their strangeness. The abilities that had always made them stand apart from the rest of their friends and family - and often made them question their own sanity - were embraced within the academy's walls.

For Edward, sessions with Dr. Cullen and the other scientists had already given him more control over his "gift" than he had ever hoped to achieve. He still could not entirely shut off the internal ramblings of those around him, but he had managed to push them deeper into his mind so he could concentrate on verbal dialogue and have somewhat normal conversations for the first time since hitting puberty. Although it took hard work and concentration, he was now able to give those around him some amount of privacy.

"So, anyone else excited to finally interact with the girls today?" Mike Newton asked from his end of the kitchen table. He was one of the students Edward only barely tolerated, and thus usually avoided.

"There's this particular hottie," Mike continued, "with long dark brown hair that I have been fantasizing about since orientation. I _may _have also seen her in the girls' dorm a couple of times since then, but unfortunately I can never catch the chick in any state of undress."

"You better hope that Dr. C doesn't find out you are trying to abuse your bilocation power like that," another student, Ben, commented.

_What an ass. _

Edward seconded Jasper's unspoken opinion about Mike, which is why he gave a slight nod of agreement to the idea that appeared next in Jasper's head.

Mike was suddenly weeping openly at the table, unable to fight the flood of emotions being sent his way.

"What Mike? Are you suddenly feeling extremely guilty and ashamed for your poor behavior?" Edward threw over his shoulder as he put his plate in the dishwasher.

He was looking forward to eating lunch and dinner in the main cafeteria starting with their next meal. Although he didn't mind fixing his own food, it would be a nice change to have someone else preparing meals after having mostly frozen waffles, hotdogs, and spaghetti for the past week. Apparently, Dr. Cullen didn't want the students feeling too pampered as they transitioned from their previous homes.

After cleaning up his breakfast dishes, Edward grabbed the backpack that he had earlier deposited by the front door, the same door that had been locked since he arrived but now stood open. Upon exiting the dormitory, he stopped to enjoy the bright morning sunshine and fresh air.

"Now that we have free reign, it seems strange, huh?" Jasper commented as he came up behind his friend.

"Yeah," Edward answered, "I had gotten so used to being lead around by a staff member that it's weird to now have the freedom to find our first class on our own."

"It's like they had us brainwashed or something."

Edward couldn't help but smirk at the irony. "Mike would probably say that you are the one messing with people's minds."

"That's true, but the douche definitely deserved a little payback this morning."

Edward turned his attention to the class schedule they had each been given as the two boys walked across the grassy quad separating their dormitory from the main building where all of their classes were being held.

Since there were less than three dozen students currently enrolled at Olympic Academy, they all had the same schedule: biology, psychology, calculus, history of psychic phenomenon, physics, and linguistics. They were also each expected to attend a variety of physical fitness classes including martial arts and strength training.

Edward knew that some of the students still considered this place a prison or felt shunned and dismissed by their families by virtue of being sent here, but he was beginning to see why the government had refurnished this abandoned boarding school and brought them all together.

Sure, electrodes had been attached to his head several times already, and Edward wasn't sure how he had any blood left considering how many samples they had taken, but he knew without a doubt that the peace of mind he had already gained at his new high school was worth it.

Then again, it was the _first_ school he had attended in over a year. After the voices started appearing in his head, he had begged his grandmother to let him be home-schooled. He knew for a fact – since he could read her mind after all – that Grandmother Masen was afraid the death of his parents had finally pushed Edward over the edge, but she had granted his wish and given him his space. He had even convinced himself that he was content with his diet of music, books, and solitude, until he came here.

The only remaining question was how the agent who rang the doorbell last month had known about his ability, especially considering that Edward had never even told his grandmother the truth. As far as she knew, it was migraines triggered by crowds that drove him into the attic.

He was still pondering that mystery as he took a seat in biology beside Jasper. They were the first ones to arrive in the classroom as most of the guys stopped in the quad to await the girls' arrival. It not that Edward didn't want to meet the rest of the student body, it just wasn't a priority. Plus, being surrounded by lots of people was still difficult for him, the bombardment of thoughts overwhelming at times.

As other students started trickling in, Edward closed his eyes in an attempt to block their minds. Snatches of words and phrases entered his consciousness, but for the most part, Edward was able to successfully bundle everything into a general buzzing sound using the technique Dr. Cullen taught him.

_Of course they would all be asking about Masen._

Although he didn't open his eyes, the sound of his own name, even unspoken, pushed into the front of Edward's mind. Apparently Mike was upset that a couple of girls he was trying to flirt with were not so taken with the "Newton Charms," preferring the silent strong type instead.

Edward could also pick up flashes of something else from Mike's mind. Recent memories of surprise, pain, and dented lockers skirted around the edges of his consciousness, but Edward couldn't get a real sense of what happened. Mike was obviously trying to suppress what appeared to be an unpleasant encounter in the hallway.

_Edward, my man. _Jasper's thoughts drowned out the rest. _It would appear you have quite the fan club. _

Despite his better judgment, Edward slowly opened his eyes to find a pair of blue ones staring back at him. The face in front of him was coated with too much make-up and surrounded by dyed blond hair.

"Hi, I'm Jessica, and this is Lauren," the girl spoke in a low voice that was probably meant to be sexy but in reality was just annoying. She was twisted around in her seat from the lab table in front of the one that the two boys occupied. The other girl was also leaned over the back of a chair, her right hand extended towards Edward.

"I met Jasper at the airport," Lauren commented as Edward shook the offered hand, "but somehow missed you."

_Which is a shame – _her internal dialogue continued in Edward's mind – _because I could have made you feel _real_ good in the back seat of that bus instead of wasting my time with Tyler. Even Jasper would have been better in retrospect as long as he kept his mouth shut. Southern accents get on my last nerve._

Edward shuddered at Lauren's unspoken comments and was further disturbed when she didn't release his hand right way. Instead, her fingers trailed over his one piece of jewelry, an item bearing the Masen crest.

"That's so sweet that you wear the ring that belonged to your grandfather. Did you know it was originally casted in England?"

Edward didn't respond to her question, but instead ripped his hand away and twisted his face into a scowl.

"Isn't it cool that Lauren that has the power of psychometry? All I can do is locate items through dowsing." Jessica seemed disappointed that she couldn't impress the boys with her psychic ability, but her expression changed an instant later, deciding on a different approach to get their attention. "Then again, I have many other talents that might interest you."

Edward jerked away when he felt Jessica's hand grabbed his thigh underneath the lab table. _What is wrong with these girls? _he wondered to himself. He wasn't used to this kind of attention from the opposite sex, and it unnerved him.

Prior to his decision to home-school, Edward was a skinny teenager with bad skin and thick glasses. Since then, he switched to contacts, invested in some Proactiv, and bulked up – lifting weights was one of the ways he filled the lonely hours – but he still never considered himself attractive. Apparently, others disagreed.

Luckily, both girls were distracted from their flirting when Emmett entered causing a scene. All eyes tracked the new arrival as he chased a squealing blonde into the classroom. Emmett finally caught his prey right beside Edward and Jasper's lab table.

"Did you really think you could escape me, babe?" their friend asked with a huge grin on his face.

"Not necessarily, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to make you work for it," purred the girl trapped in his arms.

"You weren't playing so hard to get in the broom closet just now."

That comment earned Emmett a slap across the face, but Edward could tell the girl wasn't actually angry. He could also admire her generous curves and striking beauty, but he didn't doubt for an instant that she was well aware of those assets herself.

Still, if this was the girl Emmett has been going on and on about, Edward could at least give her a chance, especially considering that he agreed with her internal assessment of the two girls in front of him, who had thankfully turned back around.

"Jasper, Edward, I'd like for you to meet my woman, Rosalie Hale." Emmett looked smug until said woman punched him in the arm.

"I am not _your_ woman, asshole. I don't fucking belong to you. And if you keep up this chauvinistic shit then you won't get to sample the wares anymore."

Once again, Edward knew Rosalie wasn't really mad, but Emmett wasn't quite so sure. Just in case, he gushed apologies as he followed her to a back table.

Jasper, in the meantime, was staring at the classroom door, seemingly mesmerized. Edward followed his gaze to find the strange girl from the conference room; of course he had since discovered that strange was definitely a relative word around Olympic Academy. She was walking towards them but only had eyes for Jazz.

"You've kept me waiting" was her only comment after stopping in front of their table.

"I promise not to make that same mistake again."

Without even a glance at his friend, Jasper took the girl's hand and followed her to the last empty table in the room, which left Edward in quite the predicament. He could already hear the thoughts of several girls who were considering abandoning their current lab partners in lieu of grabbing the now unoccupied chair on his left. Thankfully, their teacher chose that moment to breeze into the classroom and call everyone to attention.

Just as Mr. Banner was providing the class with his surprisingly impressive credentials, Edward noticed another student slipping through the open door. He didn't play her much attention, however, as he was focusing so hard on blocking his classmates' thoughts so that he could concentrate on the teacher's introduction.

Mr. Banner though stopped his opening monologue a moment later.

"I will excuse your tardiness this one time, young lady, as it is the first day, but I expect you to be on time from now on. Now, please quickly take a seat so we can get started on our first lesson, genetic manipulation."

The girl quickly slid into the chair Mr. Banner had indicated, which meant that Edward now had a lab partner. Since she appeared both embarrassed and nervous, Edward thought he would quickly introduce himself to help ease the tension.

He waited until she gathered her supplies from a book bag on the floor before discreetly whispering, "Hi, I'm..."

Before Edward could finish his greeting though, the girl beside him leapt back dragging her chair with her. From her new position, which was practically in the aisle, she gave him a look he couldn't quite decipher. At first, she appeared simply shocked, but her facial features then morph into a mixture of terror and disgust.

Against his better judgment, Edward opened his mind in order to read hers, but for the first time, he was met with nothing, complete emptiness where her thoughts should be. It was then that he realized this was the girl from the bus who had caught his attention. This was the first time though that Edward had been able to see her eyes. In the brief moments that their stares were locked together, Edward felt something unrecognizable stir within him, a feeling he could quite place.

The girl looked away then and proceeded to hide behind a curtain of hair. She was also grabbing the edge of the table with a fierce determination.

Edward could barely follow the lecture on the possibility of alternating a fetus's cerebral DNA in utero. He was too focused on trying to get a peek at the girl beside him, at her face or her mind – at this point, either would bring him some relief. He was desperate to know why she seemed so repulsed by him. Edward was quickly becoming obsessed with his lab partner even though he didn't know her name.

He wanted to think his fascination came from _not_ being able to know what she was thinking, but it was more than that. He felt drawn to her for some unknown reason. The feelings she invoked were confusing and made absolutely no sense to Edward's logical mind.

He hoped to try an introduction again at the end of class, but his partner flew out of her chair and out of the room before Banner even finished saying "you're dismissed." Edward would have followed right afterwards, but it was unfortunately many long minutes before he could separate himself from the slutty twins.

By the time Edward got to psychology, the mystery girl had planted herself in the far corner of the room, her face buried deep in the textbook. Since all of the desks around her were already taken, he was forced to set by some girl named Tanya, who thoughts about him were even worse than Lauren and Jessica's.

Still desperate to learn more about his lab partner from biology, Edward subjected himself to everyone else's thoughts. After awhile, he determined that her name was Bella, but was surprised at some of the internal comments directed towards her.

_Why am I not surprised that Little Miss Mousie has tucked herself away in the corner. What a freak._

_Bella seemed more afraid than usual; I hope nothing happened to set her off. Maybe I should try to talk to her again tonight._

_I still don't know what the fuck happened in the hall. I don't care how hot she is, that particular brand of crazy isn't worth the trouble._

_Shit, I have been totally ignoring Bella. Some roommate I am. Then again, she needs to start spreading her wings more._

_I wonder why Mike told me to stay away from that Bella chick. She doesn't look crazy to me, at least not any more than the rest of us. I definitely need to try to hit that the first chance I get._

Edward practically growled at Tyler after intercepting that last thought, but felt slightly ashamed afterwards. He had promised his dorm mates to give them as much privacy as possible. Yet in this case, the need to protect Bella outweighed everything else.

But there was another thought that popped in his own head after hearing Tyler's internal assessment that had nothing to do with wanting to protect the girl. The resulting wave of possessiveness that rushed through his body in that moment truly frightened him, but Edward couldn't deny the thought's existence.

_Mine._


End file.
